Nieuw Nickerie

In 1718, Dietzel became the first known person to settle in the area. In 1797, governor Jurriaan de Friderici approved the first plantation in Nickerie. A large number of Scottish and English settlers arrived in the area during the British Occupation, Nieuw Nickerie was built in 1879 after the former center of the district, Nieuw Rotterdam, was destroyed by floods. Nieuw Nickerie was originally planned on a polder created in 1869, but was moved further in land. In 1940s a sea dike was built to protect the area. ==Economy==

The main industries are bananas and rice. Nickerie is the largest rice producer of Suriname. Mungra Medical Centre, is located on the Annastraat in Nieuw-Nickerie. Nickerie has a harbour, but the entrance depth is 3.7 metres and can carter to ships up to 6,000 tonnes. The harbour has been upgraded in 2012, but will be upgraded further. Nieuw Nickerie is started to develop as a tourist area. There are quite a number of hotels in the city, and the nearby Bigi Pan Nature Reserve opened opportunities for ecotourism. ==Notable people==

• Clarence Breeveld (1948-2017), singer and musician. • Ronald Hoop (1967), football player. • Benito Kemble (1968), footballer. • Jagernath Lachmon (1916-2001), politician. • Ken Monkou (1964), footballer. • Mellisa Santokhi-Seenacherry (1980), lawyer and First Lady of Suriname • Ramkisoen Dewdat Oedayrajsing Varma (1907–1968), politician and Hindu priest. • Ulrich Wilson (1964), football player. == Climate ==

Nieuw Nickerie has a borderline tropical rainforest climate (Köppen Af) just short of being a tropical monsoon climate (Am). A distinctly drier period occurs from September to November, whilst May to July are the wettest months, although the weather is persistently uncomfortable, hot and humid throughout the year. {{Weather box ==References==